The Secret to a Spy’s Heart: A Steamy Victorian Historical Spy Series (Romancing Intrigue Book 4)

by Laura Shipley

  “Thank you,” she said as she crossed the threshold. “I picked up some things from the dress shop. The seamstress will be by later in the week for some final fittings. It does seem extravagant for a house party.”

  “I want you to look the part.” He had spared no expense when it came to outfitting Colette. Everything was from the finest couture shops in Paris. No woman associated with him would look anything less than perfect. It also helped that many of the dresses showcased Colette’s curvy body. He swore he went to bed every night with an erection.

  “Oh, and I ran into André on my way home. He wanted me to give you a message. He and Pierre will be out of town for the next day or more. In case you needed him, he will be away.”

  “It was kind of him to let me know. Here, let me help you.” Louis took the boxes from her arms and called for a footman to assist them.

  During the days leading up to their departure, Louis kept Colette busy with regular correspondence to Jacques. His superiors at the Ministry would give him the revised list of shipments and dates. Then Colette would send a copy of the documents on to her boss. So far, it appeared their strategy was working.

  Some nights they went out while other evenings they enjoyed together at the house. It was the nights at home that were the hardest for Louis. When it was just the two of them alone, all he wanted to do was take her up to his bed. Since the encounter in the kitchen, he had not touched her except for a brief chaste kiss now and then. He would do nothing unless Colette asked, but God, he hoped she would. He was familiar enough with women to see that Colette appeared to battle with her emotions the same as he did. At times, he would catch her staring at him, almost longingly, but he acted as if he did not notice.

  It was easier to be with her when they were at society events. There, they each played the part of adoring partner. He could steal a few caresses without feeling like a cad, knowing it was part of their act as a couple. He relished the times they danced, and he could hold her close. Each time he was near her, his cock throbbed with yearning.

  They planned to leave for the estate in two days. Colette had been busy running errands and getting the final necessities for their trip. He had insisted that she have more garments, even though she had protested. He enjoyed seeing her in all the rich fabrics, and each time he heard the rustle of her skirts, his heart jumped in anticipation.

  Today, he had finished early and headed home. The butler informed him that Colette was in the front parlor with the dressmaker. Not thinking anything of it, he went in to see how things were progressing. He strolled in and froze for a moment. In the middle of the room, illuminated by the sun's caressing rays, stood Colette in her undergarments. His gaze took her in from her silk stockings up to her shapely hips and luscious bosom, both encased in a corset. A pink coloring rose in her face and spread down her neck. He followed the line of the blush and wondered if it reached her tits.

  Lord, it aroused him, more than anything so far. He had to do something quick, or he would make a fool of himself. The girth of his rod expanded the longer he stood there.

  As if sensing his dilemma, Colette put a beaming grin on her face. “Darling,” she said as she went up to Louis. “I was not expecting you so soon.”

  He watched her approach, put her arms around him, and plant a kiss on his cheek. She pulled back and gazed up at him, waiting for a response. For a moment, Louis forgot he should be acting the part of the passionate lover. His mind kept screaming at him to claim her, strip off her clothes, and brand Colette as his. The power of that epiphany hit him in the gut and even deeper, in his soul.

  Louis refocused on Colette. She clung to his shirt, so close he could see the pulse in her neck hammering anxiously. Calm down, he told himself. Now was not the time to go daft. He needed to redirect his attention back to Colette. Getting into character, Louis swept her into his arms and captured her mouth, lingering just long enough to hear a small moan pass her lips.

  The laughter from the seamstress and her assistants echoed in the background. He put on his most charismatic grin. “Excuse me ladies, but I could not help myself. I’m sorry to have interrupted.”

  “Not at all monsieur, we have just finished. I will have the dresses delivered tomorrow,” the seamstress said as they packed away the gowns.

  Louis walked them out, wanting to give Colette some privacy before returning. By the time he came back, she had put on a robe and tied it around her waist. He could not see a hint of skin below her neck. Hopefully, he had not offended her too much when he had kissed her.

  “Thank you for acting so quickly. I must admit you surprised me. I had forgotten the seamstress would be calling today.” He did not know what else to say.

  Colette shuffled her feet. “It was instinct. After all these years, I am used to surprises. Besides, it would have looked suspicious if we were not comfortable around each other, given our presumed relationship.”

  Louis nodded his head. “You are right. In the future, I will knock. I will see you at dinner.” With that said, he went to his study and attempted to work. He needed a distraction to get his mind away from lustful images of Colette. There were a few preparations to finalize for the trip to Alsace.

  Dinner that night was quiet. They made it through the first course with little conversation. Colette kept averting her eyes whenever he looked at her.

  He cleared his throat. “Have all the guests confirmed they will be coming?”

  “Yes, it will be a nice-sized party. I received a letter from the cook with some menus. All seems to be in order.”

  “You can make any last-minute changes when we get to Alsace.”

  “But you are the master. Shouldn’t the orders come from you?” she asked as she bit into her roast beef.

  “You are the hostess, and thus, have final word in all that will occur.”

  Colette put her fork down and focused her stare on Louis. “I do not think you should put so much faith in me.”

  “Why not? You have given me no reason not to trust you.”

  “This is different. This week is more personal, more intimate.” Their gazes met across the table. Her breaths were shallow.

  Damn, she was beautiful. If it weren’t for the servants in the room, there were a number of things he would do to her right now. Best keep things civil. He waited until the footman left to get the next course. “Who do you think our best bet is for recruitment?”

  Colette pondered for a minute. “Madame Lesage.”

  He burst out laughing.

  “What is so amusing? Is it because she is a woman?”

  Louis shook his head. “No, I was merely surprised at your answer. I thought you might say Chabot or Gobeil. Both men are greedy.”

  “Marie wants to be independent. She is ambitious.”

  “Then why does she stay with a man like Paulin? He may be rich, but he can be dull as hell.”

  “She loves him.”

  The words hung in the air between them. Colette’s jade eyes met his—they pierced him to the soul. A powerful force swept through him, sending shocks of need jolting within him. He was about to say something when the footmen came in with the next course.

  The remainder of the meal was spent conversing about the estate and grounds to familiarize Colette before they left. After dinner, Colette excused herself to bed.

  Louis decided to do the same, but only after staring at the fire in the parlor for an hour. When he got to his bedchamber, sleep, eluded him. He had two more drinks and tried reading a book, hoping to fall asleep, but it was useless. There were too many things running through his head. He prayed this house party would be the ticket to getting closer to the Fox. If they could arrest the villain, Louis could finally rest. Since Michelle’s death, he had been relentless in his pursuit. Louis had grown weary. People had no idea how hard it was to keep up the facade of a careless gentleman while on the inside, all he wanted to do was to lay his head in his hands and give up.

  Since meeting Colette, feelings he thoug
ht long buried had reemerged. It amazed him that he had found two women with similar backgrounds who both attracted him. Michelle had been timid and quiet. When Louis had discovered she had worked as a thief, it had bewildered him at first, but later it made sense. She was unassuming and petite, so she could make her way in and out of places inconspicuously. Later in her career, Michelle had been with men, forced to play the mistress in every sense of the word. Her reserved nature had made it difficult for her to voice her opposition. She had told Louis she had done what she had to and was not ashamed.

  When Louis had learned of her past, all he had wanted to do was protect Michelle, give her a better life. In the end, the Fox had found her anyway, of that Louis was certain. If he had not involved himself with Michelle, had not taken her away, she might still be alive today. It was the guilt, the uncertainty that kept Louis up at night. Had his interference in Michelle’s life been her downfall, and worse yet, was he making the same mistake with Colette?

  Colette was a stark contrast to Michelle. She had made it years in the harsh city and forged her place in a gang where men dominated. With her strength and intellect, she had climbed her way to being one of the top operatives for the biggest criminal in France. Colette was a survivor, and it was that spirit that irrevocably drew Louis to her.

  A lengthy sigh left his lips. It was useless. Sleep would not come. Perhaps if he did some work, he would eventually pass out in his office from exhaustion. He grabbed a candle and walked to the study. As he was about to enter, he noticed a light shining under the door to the parlor. Louis cautiously made his way down the hall. He pushed open the door to find Colette seated on a couch. The creak of the door startled her. Like a moth drawn to the flame, Louis entered the room, even though a part of his mind told him he was playing with fire. It was a chance he would take. So what if he got burned in the end?

  **********

  After excusing herself for the night, Colette had changed into her nightdress and sat with a cup of tea. Her mind kept replaying the scene from earlier in the day. The way Louis’s eyes had feasted on her body, and the obvious bulge of his arousal. Primarily, she recalled the taste of his lips on hers. Each time he kissed her, she wanted more. She was attracted to him but feared it would turn into more than she could handle. She did not need more complications in her life. Besides, the only place for a woman like her in Louis’s life was as his mistress. They could never be together as man and wife. Was that what she wanted? Exhaustion from the last weeks was making her think nonsense.

  Restless, she went downstairs for a glass of brandy. When she entered the parlor, a footman was about to douse the fire. She told him she would take care of it when she left. Colette rested on a chair with her glass. The amber liquor warmed a path down her throat and settled in her belly.

  Colette worried about the upcoming house party. Although she had attended similar events in the past, to be in charge was a different story. Louis had been kind at dinner to offer suggestions for outings and entertainment. When they arrived at his estate, she would speak to the housekeeper about getting activities scheduled. In addition, there was the stress of gathering the information requested from the Fox. How was she to do it all? Colette reminded herself that Louis would be there with her. He would be in his element among the upper class, out in the open. Colette was used to being in the background, a memory to those she interacted with, not the center of attention as she would be for the party.

  No matter how she felt, she had to see this mission through until the end. She owed it to herself, as well as to the children and Elle. The parlor door creaked open, starling Colette out of her musings.

  Louis stood in the doorway. He appeared like something out of her dream, silhouetted by the single candle he held. The muscular contour of his chest showed through the opening of his dressing robe. His smoldering eyes stared at her as the tip of his tongue ever so slightly wet his lips. That simple motion caused Colette’s gut to wrench in need and her legs to tremble. If she had not been sitting, she would have fallen.

  They stared at each other a second longer before Louis stepped into the room. “I beg your pardon, but I was about to go into my study when I saw the light. Naturally, I wanted to make sure all was well. I thought you had gone to bed.”

  “I could not sleep, so I thought a drink might help. When I came down, I told the footman to keep the fire going. I’m not sure how long I have been here. My mind seems to be everywhere at once.”

  “Mine too.” Louis sat next to her. “I thought doing some work might make me tired.”

  Colette let out a shaky laugh. “It appears insomnia has afflicted us both.”

  “Yes. May I keep you company for a while?”

  Colette nodded in agreement. She knew being close to Louis would make sleep the last thing on her mind. Every nerve in her body was aware of his presence. Her nipples grew hard and sensitive against the soft silk of her nightdress. The throbbing between her legs intensified. Her mouth felt as dry as a desert, and only his lips could quench her thirst. This was sensual torture at its very finest. Dangling in front of her the one man she wanted, and she had to appear as if everything was normal.

  Thankfully, Louis did most of the talking. He regaled her with stories of his childhood. By the end of an hour, she knew he was an only child, his parents had died when he was younger, and he had been sent to England for part of his education, where he had met his friends, Phillip, Ethan, and Hugh. The group of men were still close, and Louis visited them when he was able. Colette could not remember the last time she’d felt so relaxed. There was no pretense behind Louis’s actions. They were just two people offering one another companionship on a sleepless night.

  In some ways, this felt more intimate than anything physical they had shared. To open oneself up to another person, to share details of your life, spoke of a growing affection.

  Suddenly restless, Colette walked over to the windows. A streak of lightning flashed in the sky. A storm must be coming. She kept her back to Louis, unsure how to respond. Her childhood stood in stark contrast to his life of privilege. The knowledge that they were worlds apart made her heart heavy with sadness.

  Louis cleared his throat, “Oh, I almost forgot. I received a letter regarding the children.”

  Colette pivoted around. “What?”

  “Just a moment, it’s on my desk.” Louis left the room and was back in a minute. He handed an opened letter to Colette. Her eyes raced over the parchment. The couple caring for the children were teaching them to ride horses, and they were keeping up with the children’s lessons. Little Etienne had a puppy, Antoine was learning about farming, and Danielle was perfecting her cooking skills. Tears threatened to cloud her vision, but she blinked them away. She peered up at Louis. “Thank you. You have no idea how happy this has made me.”

  “I’m only sorry I forgot about it until now. There has been so much happening that it slipped my attention.”

  Colette smiled. “But you remembered, and I thank you.” She raised the letter up. “This reminds me why I must carry on. To make sure the children and others have a better life once we stop the Fox.”

  “In all my life, I have never met someone with as much compassion for others as you. Most people who come from the streets only think about themselves. You have human decency and want to make the world better. It is a rare thing.”

  Once again, she turned from him. Another lightning bolt crossed the sky, followed by thunder. The storm was getting closer.

  “I think those children hold the last of my humanity.”

  “Why is that?” He asked in a whispered voice.

  “Because of my past. I have lied, cheated and even killed, all to keep myself alive.”

  “Most people would not fault you. I know I do not.” Louis sounded closer.

  “When I see the children, I see the innocence I lost, and I cannot let that befall them. I refuse to let this city swallow them up; for them to be among the many hopeless souls who flood our streets.�
�� She would give her own life if it meant the children were safe. Is that not what she was doing now, putting her life on the line to give them a better future?

  Lightning lit up the room. In the window’s reflection Colette saw Louis standing behind her. His mere proximity made her stomach quiver. She clutched her night dress to still her trembling hands. When the next bolt cracked, their gazes met in the glass. The breath left her lips in a half-sigh.

  “Colette, we have all done things in our pasts that we are not proud of. It is what we do now that matters. You are helping to rid the world of a ruthless criminal who will stop at nothing and hurt whoever is in his way to get what he wants. I think that makes up for your petty thievery and other misconduct over the years.”

  “But does it?” Her voice cracked. “I have done so many things—almost anything you can imagine—except for one thing.”

  “What’s that?” His hands closed around her arms, and he drew her against him. “You can tell me. You know I will not judge you. If nothing else, believe that I will not think any differently of you.”

  It was now or never. In every step of her life, Colette had always been sure of herself, regardless if it was right or wrong. She never hesitated and met every challenge head on. It is what had allowed her to survive a life on the streets of Paris. But now, for the first time, she hesitated, because it was not her life on the line but her heart. If she told Louis her deepest desire, would he use it against her, or would he fulfill her wildest fantasy?

  Between the hungry look in his eyes and his erect cock nudging her backside, Colette knew he wanted what she did. Still, she hesitated. “Louis, do you trust me?” She needed to know the answer before she continued.

  He lowered his head until his lips brushed her ear. “I trust you, Colette. After all these years, I think myself an excellent judge of character, and you are a good person. Whether you want to admit it, you are. Why else would you take in those children, provide them with a safe home and a chance at a better life?”